Modern sub-sea cables are often laid in hazardous environments, and can be subject to high force loadings. In order to ruggedize the cables so that they are capable of withstanding these forces, they usually comprise a woven outer armour layer of thick steel cables, wires or similar. This sturdy armoured layer preferably takes the strain when the cable is stretched or bent, protecting the inner components of the cable.
The part of a cable close to its termination, for example, at the cable's final destination, is often subject to a particularly high strain as the flexible, moveable cable is connected to a stationary, rigid object. As such, it is preferable that the armour wires of the cable are very securely coupled to the structure the cable is connected to, so as to avoid undue strain on the inner components. It may further be preferable to limit the motion of the cable close to the termination, for example by using a bend-restricting sheath of some sort.
An example of a cable termination structure is illustrated in FIG. 1. Armoured undersea cable 2 is shown having an outer sheath 13, armour wires 10 and inner component 12. The cable 2 passes through terminating plates 4 and 6; the terminating rings being held together with bolts 8. The armour wires 10 of cable 2 are splayed out between terminating plates 4 and 6, allowing the inner component 12 of the cable to continue to its destination. This cable termination structure, although relatively easy to make, requires significant preparation of the cable at the point of installation. Furthermore, the armour wires are exposed to significant strain as they are forced around a tight right-angled bend, this strain being concentrated in the bend.
For long cables, the time consuming process of preparing the cable for termination is not a particularly great concern, as the effort required is relatively small compared to that of laying the cable. However, with the advent of offshore wind farms there is now a demand for greater numbers of shorter cables. The comparatively shorter cables mean that the cable termination becomes a much more significant element in the installation process. Therefore an undersea cable termination system that does not require as much on-site preparation of the cable to be terminated and reduces the time required to effect the termination of a cable is desired.